Social Media Integration into Problem Based Learning in Universities
Julius Murumba1, Elyjoy Micheni2
1GJulius Murumba, Department of Management Science and Technology, Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.
2Elyjoy Micheni, PhD, Department of Management Science and Technology, Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.
Manuscript received on April 05, 2017. | Revised Manuscript received on April 20, 2017. | Manuscript published on April 25, 2017. | PP: 19-25 | Volume-4 Issue-9, April 2017. | Retrieval Number: I1167044917
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© The Authors. Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: The current generation of students in universities is made up of digital natives who prefer to use social media to socialize and interact. Many Universities have introduced Problem Based Learning (PBL) and appears to be of growing interest particularly where such learning requires computer supported collaborative working. This article examined the current state of problem based learning in Kenyan universities and investigated the social networking technologies frequently used, factors influencing integration of social networks into PBL and challenges faced. The study is carried out through an examination of scientific research papers in journals and conference proceedings, and from online journals and reports. The paper concludes that integration of social networking technologies into PBL is necessary to enable use of real world problems or situations as a context for learning. The paper recommends that Institutional leaders should recognize the opportunities that social media and the Internet offer to problem based learning and develop supportive policies, and academic members of staff need to provide an educational context that enables students to integrate social media academically, especially in PBL
Keywords: Social Media, Problem Based Learning, Universities